Canine Condolences
by ChoCedric
Summary: Sirius sneaks into the part of the hospital wing where Cedric Diggory lies, feeling as though he should comfort the family at this horrific time. After all, he shared a dormitory for seven years with the rat that killed him.


Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Canine Condolences

By: ChoCedric

As Sirius Black sneaks into the part of the wing where Cedric Diggory lies, he feels anger and sadness bubble within him. He can't believe that his ex-friend, Peter Pettigrew, did this to a seventeen-year-old boy just because his scum of a master told him to. Cedric was just like James and Lily, having hopes and dreams for the future, all snatched away just because of a little rat named Wormtail. As Sirius's paws pad to Cedric's side, he feels sick to his stomach.

The Diggorys look up as the big, black dog comes padding over. "What the bloody hell?" Mr. Diggory growls. He is holding his son's hand, looking into the seventeen-year-old's face, which is filled with shock and fear. "What's this damn dog doing here?"

"Shhhh, Amos," Mrs. Diggory says softly. "He doesn't look like he's going to do any harm. He probably belongs to one of the professors."

Sirius mournfully goes over to where Cedric lies, and puts his paw on his cold cheek. He remembers all the times when little Peter obeyed his, James, and Remus's every wish, and he's sickened to know that he didn't see it before, that he'd do things just because people told him to. He stares into Cedric's face and is nauseated to see the fear on it.

There are so many things he wants to say, but he knows he can't. If he turned back into himself, the Diggorys would probably think he was involved in the murder of their son, because he's the infamous Sirius Black. So he simply sits by Cedric's side, watching Mrs. Diggory cry and Mr. Diggory stroke his son's hand lovingly. Sirius remembers the screams and sobs of the crowd as he sat in the pumpkin patch near Hagrid's cabin. Obviously, the seventeen-year-old was loved by everyone, and Peter had to take him away from them all.

He remembers the young boy who would ask his friends to raid the kitchens for him, who helped them with the Marauder's Map, and it is so hard to compare him to the man who yelled "Avada Kedavra!" and took away the life of a promising young man. He sees that Cedric's eyes are closed, but he somehow doesn't believe that they were that way when he first died. He remembers James and Lily's lifeless eyes, and he vows to himself that somehow, someday, he will get his hands on that rat and seek retribution. As he continues to watch tears pour down Mrs. Diggory's face, he feels his canine stomach roil within him. He gently goes over and licks her face, and she stares at him, compassion in her eyes. "You're a good boy, aren't you?" she whispers brokenly, stroking his fur.

Sirius makes a mournful noise deep within his throat, and both Diggorys feel as though the animal is grieving with them. "You're the most intelligent dog I've ever seen," Mrs. Diggory says thickly, looking into the animal's gray eyes. She swears she can see compassion there, as if the animal knows more than he's letting on. She strokes his fur again, saying, "I'm sure Cedric would have liked you very much."

Sirius can feel the remains of fear radiating off Cedric's still form. He remembers what Harry said: "Voldemort told Wormtail to "kill the spare", and he did." It's absolutely awful that Voldemort and Peter viewed Cedric as nothing more than a bug that needed to be eliminated. Peter is the one who needs to be executed, thinks Sirius viciously. Seeing the pain that his ex-best friend caused almost makes him want to cry. If he turned back into his human form right now, he's sure he would be shedding tears.

Dumbledore be damned, he thinks to himself. If he catches me here, I won't care. He just felt something deep inside him that told him that he needed to be there for the Diggorys at this horrific time. After all, he shared a dormitory for seven years with the man who caused this to happen. The boy doesn't look at all peaceful; the expression on his face is just like the one James and Lily wore. It brings him right back to that Halloween night, where he found his best friend's body under a fallen beam and Lily, her green eyes opened wide, lying by Harry's crib, the look on her face heartbreaking. He viciously pushes back the bile that is rising into his throat, and licks Cedric's still face to distract himself.

After a few more moments, he feels as if it is his time to leave the Diggorys to be with their son for the last time. He looks at Cedric once more, and wags his tail a little at Mr. and Mrs. Diggory. They look at him, and Mrs. Diggory whispers, "Thank you, boy. You're just what we needed." He licks her hand, and then, with his tail between his legs, sadly pads out of the wing. It is time he went to contact the old crowd, and time to talk about making an effort to have the Order reformed. It is awful people like Peter that need to be stopped, and he swears to Merlin that no one else will end up like Cedric if he can help it.

As he goes out into the grounds, he reflects on what a beautiful night it is. It is ironic that such a tragedy had to happen this night, and he takes a look at the Quidditch pitch, which is empty now. He thinks of the life Cedric could have had, with a loving wife and many children running around their house. I will avenge you, James, Lily, and all the Muggles Peter killed, I promise, Sirius thinks. He can't help but feel responsible for all the deaths, for if he had stopped Peter in the first place, they all could have been prevented. Feeling a steely resolve never faltering within him, he Disapparates away from the Hogwarts grounds, ready to do his part to end Voldemort's reign once and for all.


End file.
